We are designed to walk on two legs. Just look at the pleasure on a toddler’s face as he takes his first steps – pleasure that only increases as he learns to use his legs to run, jump, skip and so on. Fitness walking programs were unheard of during the times of our predecessors. With just two legs and arms and his wits to keep himself fed and sheltered, prehistoric man was either fit or dead. However, modern ways of living and eating mean that we need to build fitness in as a lifestyle option rather than taking it for granted.

Enter fitness walking and fitness walking programs – walking regularly in a structured manner that leads to greater physical fitness for the walker. Defined as the latest fitness craze and catching on rapidly elsewhere, so many benefits accrue to walking for fitness that it is hard to list them. Strengthened lungs and heart get on with doing the jobs for which they were made, sending oxygenated blood around your body and getting rid of wastes, including carbon dioxide. More oxygen to the cells burns fat and you lose weight.

People who walk often usually live longer too, drastically reducing their risk of death from all types of diseases. Walking is low impact and ideal for those recovering from illness or injury. Take shorter, more frequent walks to build your strength, then add time to your walking workouts or add weight for increased muscle building. A fitness walking speed of three miles per hour takes time and experience, so beginners should start at a slower pace and work up. People slot into walking for fitness programs at their own level, aiming to increase their stamina, the distance they walk and, possibly, their speed, as time goes by. The aim is to be comfortable while fitness walking, but not so comfortable that you can carry out a full conversation at the same time. You should be breathing hard enough that a few sentences have to suffice. Working towards a fast pulse rate at a pace that makes you perspire just a little, is the way to go.

Fitness walking has been shown to lessen the risk of heart disease and stroke, arthritis and osteoporosis. As well, muscles and bones work better after regular, low-impact exercise so you have more energy than before, which in turn leads to greater self-esteem and reduced stress as you cope with life differently. All this for doing something that is free and enjoyable and doesn’t even need a gym membership – walking.